 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello!
My husband and I are looking at booking a ski trip for January 2025. Neither of us have been on a ski trip before and we feel pretty clueless!
We’re thinking France but we’re pretty open about where we go, I’d really welcome some resort recommendations, it quickly gets overwhelming when you’re new to skiing!
Im also thinking it’d make more sense for us to book a package through the likes of Ingham/crystal rather than sorting everything separately as we don’t know what we’re doing, is that what would be recommended? I’ve not used a company like this before so it’s all new to us, any suggestions would be appreciated.
I’d really welcome any guidance, we’re super excited but also have no idea what we’re doing!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A tour operators package is definitely the way to go. Be open minded about all Alpine countries to give you more options booking fairly late.
You don’t need to look for extensive lift systems, instead select somewhere with gentle slopes to build confidence.
Courchevel 1850 has that.
I’d also recommend Colfosco in Italy, but I don’t think the main tour operators go there. Rohrmoos in Austria too.
Good luck, it’s an amazing passion and highly addictive 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Lucy12, tbh there aren't many resorts that don't cater fairly well for beginners. Chamonix is the most mainstream resort that I would avoid as a beginner. Going with a tour operator the first time is sensible. Ski in ski out is nice but not essential although you probably do want to be close to the slopes. You could always pick a holiday and check if the form thought that it was a good place for beginners
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
You could always pick a holiday and check if the form thought that it was a good place for beginners
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Yes, you certainly could, but be prepared for lots of contradictory advice. Yes, Courchevel 1850 has some brilliant beginner areas. But it is also one of the most expensive ski resorts in the Alps - some cafés and restaurants with prices which would strike terror into most of us and have us creeping out trying to look casual.
If you pick a "learn to ski" package with one of the big operators, like Crystal, it should be fine - and mid-January is the ideal time, really, with quiet slopes, cheaper prices and a reasonably likelihood of good snow.
Prepare to get addicted, though.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Grab some lessons in the UK before you go. You don't want to waste valuable ski time learning how to put on a ski and the basics.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Origen wrote: |
| Courchevel 1850 has ... some cafés and restaurants with prices which would strike terror into most of us and have us creeping out trying to look casual. |
We obviously didn't look casual enough, you noticed us!
But seriously, for a first-timer it isn't representative of ski resorts. If you want a French mega-resort try La Plagne or Les Arcs. But a smaller place would do fine (e.g. Valmorel).
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Here is some random advice:
- Get fit before you go - include balance training.
- Book ski school as early as possible, once you have decided where to go. Look for ski schools with maximum class sizes (6 to 8 ).
- Bring some removable sticky tape to mark hired skis to prevent them being taken by mistake (as there are many pairs the same being hired)
- Take out the extra ski insurance from the shop, which is small and helps if skis are lost/stolen
- Don't be afraid to go back to the hire shop if ski boots are hurting you
- Take out the extra liftpass insurance, as it is also a small amount and gives hassle free removal from the mountain if get injured...carry the receipt with you (in a plastic bag) when on the mountain
- Photograph the liftpass, as often this can be used to get it replaced if lost
- Keep hydrated and avoid skiing if very tired at the end of the day.....look out for the 3rd day blues, which can see a build up of tiredness (and where everything can fall apart)
- Get quality gloves/socks and goggles (with a versatile lens that works in both sun and shade)
- Avoid cotton on the mountain
Good Luck - you should have a ball.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sat 23-11-24 21:35; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Austria is the best country to visit when learning to ski (in my opinion..) ::
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Lucy12, welcome to SnowHeads - you have a PM (top right, Send/Read Messages)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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What an adventure 
@Old Fartbag’s tips are excellent. Can I add a few more thoughts
There is a broad distinction between pretty Christmassy alpine villages, which tend to be lower and thus often without snow at village level (plenty up in the mountains), and well-functioning concrete blocks which are higher up among the snow. Like most things in life, if you want everything it will cost, so choose or dismiss.
Lift pass can be pricey and I agree to find a small resort where you don’t pay for 200km of piste that you can’t use.
Lessons are crucial, ideally before but also during as the instructor will jump any lift queues and find the best snow. You could buy private lessons for the two of you (same price for one or two usually) or go in a group, cheaper, more fun to laugh with others, not as personalised.
In January you probably need warm clothes including thermal underwear. Never get cotton; cheap and functional is polyester, merino wool is nicer but you pay. Decathlon do good simple stuff. 2 sets minimum for a week. Get ski socks also. Do you have “outdoor” clothes from other sports?
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Back in the day, the answer to everything was La Rosiere 
And perhaps this holds true for this particular question.
Relatively high resort at 1800m so a fair chance of decent snow. South facing slopes (always a good idea when learning, IMO) that are easy to navigate with good beginner areas and plenty to progress to. Not an overly large ski area which is perfect as a beginner. Not a massive town/village but enough to appreciate the Alpine atmosphere. Fairly easy to get from many accommodations to the slopes - less phaff…some hotels/apartments are practically ski/out.
Flaine is often recommended here - not that I’ve skied there. Someone else can extol its virtues.
Personally, I learned to ski at Serre Chevalier where there are several mid-station, natural bowls that provide excellent learning slopes. Plenty of piste options to progress on to. Charming valley towns. My pick would be Chantemerle with the lift accessed Serre Ratier (1st station above Chantemerle) as the place to start. Possibly a bit more phaff getting to the lifts, but not overly cumbersome.
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You know it makes sense.
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Further thoughts re Resort:
Budget / Personal Preference: This always comes into the decision. eg. Courchevel 1850 is a great place to learn, as almost one whole side of the mountain has well groomed Green runs; there are excellent ski schools and it's high enough to have decent snow in Jan....but, it's really expensive and is part of a very large area that you are unlikely to see as a beginner (though you can mitigate this somewhat by getting a "Courchevel Only" lift pass).
Personal preference applies regarding "Chocolate Box" village vs Purpose Built resort. The former is a traditional village, often at the bottom of the mountain - where everyone had to get the lifts up and ski busses are needed to get to/from accommodation. The latter is already half way up the mountain and is designed to be "handy"...but is also less attractive.
Personally, I prefer handiness to bucolic picturesqueness - especially for beginners, where I would suggest looking to stay close to the slopes and ski school meeting place.
S/C vs Half Board: I would recommend HB, as you will be knackered from learning to ski - and adding Shopping/Cooking/Cleaning on top of that can make it feel less of a holiday. You have enough to get your head around. IME. S/C works better if there are young Kids involved.
Big vs Small resorts: Big resorts usually have extensive lift system, which results in expensive Lift Passes; they are popular which makes them more crowded and expensive. As a Beginner, you don't need a large area; and crowds (less in Jan after New Year) make learning more intimidating.
Resort Height / Snow sureness / Position of learner slopes: Choose somewhere that is more snow sure, either due to height or geographical position. The Beginner area needs to be in a position that it is likely to have decent snow quality - and ideally be isolated from the main area (so not a through-run to the bottom).
Ski School: The quality of the instruction is one of the biggest factors that can make or break a ski holiday. Other factors include Weather; Quality/comfort of ski/boot hire; Quality of accommodation and how close it is to the slopes.
Pistes: Look for a resort with a high percentage of easy runs. Once you start "finding your feet", you want to be able to get around the mountain, while staying on Green and easy Blue runs. NB. Paths are often labelled Green, but are miserable places for Beginners. They are usually found in big resorts, where they can connect the different areas.
Lifts: Avoid areas with Drag Lifts / T Bars...and that have too many Old school chairlifts (which don't slow down when you get On/Off). A lift that you can use to download at the end of the day is useful if you are tired and the slopes are crowded with everyone returning to base.
Countries: As well as area size affecting cost, the country you choose is also a big factor. eg. Italy and Andora give better value than Switzerland or France. Austria used to give better value, but I think has pretty much caught up with the more expensive countries.
Tour Operator: I agree with the advice above suggesting to go with a well recognized T.O.
I haven't recommended somewhere, as I go to large areas - usually in France - which are not ideal for complete Beginners. If you do decide to go to somewhere that I'm familiar with, I can give more specific advice.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Sun 24-11-24 12:15; edited 7 times in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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1) Yes go for a package fir your first trip. There's just so much new stuff to get your head around that being able to check flights/transfers/accommodation off with one single tick makes sense.
2) Nothing wrong with France - but lots rights with the rest of the Alps. If you speak one of French/Italian/German that would be the obvious country - but you'll get by fine with zero local language skills. If you like coffee and good, cheap Italian food go for Italy. If you like meat and hearty, reasonably priced food go for Austra. If you like cheese, France or Switzerland.
3) Once you've picked a country I don't think there's really a resort out there that's bad for beginners so pick somewhere that takes your fancy. Next is the bit that's worth some investigation before you book anything. With resort picked check out the ski schools on offer, specifically trying to find out where their meet point is. Next search for accommodation options you're interested in on Google maps and see how far they are from the meet point/gondola to the meet point. No point being 200m from a gondola if it's the one at the other end of town to the one for ski school!
4) Ski boots. Search these forums as it's been covered many times but in short they should be snug but not hurt, your foot should not move around inside the boot, and the clips across the top of your foot should NOT be tight, able to be opwned and closed with one finger. Tighter than that on those and you just restrict blood flow to your toes and get cold toes!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Avoid areas with Drag Lifts
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for beginner skiers I don't see any problem with draglifts in themselves - there are some which are long and tricky for various reasons but they're not likely to be used by beginners. Most people learn to use draglifts with no difficulty at all. For a beginner, getting on a busy 6-man chair is quite challenging - and getting off is worse. "Getting things wrong" on a draglift is much less problematical than "getting things wrong" on a chairlift!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Origen wrote: |
| Quote: |
Avoid areas with Drag Lifts
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for beginner skiers I don't see any problem with draglifts in themselves - there are some which are long and tricky for various reasons but they're not likely to be used by beginners. Most people learn to use draglifts with no difficulty at all. For a beginner, getting on a busy 6-man chair is quite challenging - and getting off is worse. "Getting things wrong" on a draglift is much less problematical than "getting things wrong" on a chairlift! |
That is a reasonable point.
On balance, I do think that Drags are best left until until you start feeling more comfortable on skis (maybe day 4 or 5). Small, slow, uncrowded chairs (with the option of a Drag) can teach both in a Beginner area.
Drags can create quite a bottleneck if crowded.
But if every other box is ticked, this should absolutely not be a deal-breaker.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 24-11-24 12:01; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Mjit wrote: |
4) Ski boots. Search these forums as it's been covered many times but in short they should be snug but not hurt, your foot should not move around inside the boot, and the clips across the top of your foot should NOT be tight, able to be opwned and closed with one finger. Tighter than that on those and you just restrict blood flow to your toes and get cold toes! |
Also, check out YouTube videos on how best to put on Ski Boots.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Lucy12, Welcome to snowheads.
I strongly recommend the Snowheads PreBB trip in Alleghe. See here
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=169865
Price is £677
Accom, 7 x breakfasts and 7 x dinners AND 6 days lift pass for Civetta area!
The basic price is for a place in a shared, twin or double room.
End of Jan. Tick.
Double room available. Tick
Amazing value with the lift pass included. Tick
Italy with amazing good value food on the hill. Tick
The hotel (and Garni next door) is right on a lake so if you fancy a day off the slopes it is a nice relaxing place.
https://sporthoteleuropa.com/en/
Now here is the good reason. Alleghe has a Gondola up and you can also take it back down the hill at the end of the day. So no need to go on a long ski back at the end of the day through choppy bumps and scrapped ice/sugary snow when your legs are knackered.
The slopes between the two Gondolas are wide so you don't have to worry about being buzzed by faster skiers as you find your ski legs. The resort is small enough that you have less chance to get lost.
There will always be lots of Snowheads to show you where to go and look out for you. On a package you may find you are just left on your own. On the Snowheads trip you have the option to buddy up with others and get some tips. Some snowheads have instructor qualifications so are used to passing on the right advice in a nice way. Off course, this is not instruction because that would be illegal, just friendly advice.
Another bonus is you fly into Venuice so there is the opportunity to add a day or two onto the trip and visit.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
On a package you may find you are just left on your own
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I don't think this would be the case if you sign up to a beginners package with included instruction. Really, unless you are natural athletes, you will do best to have ski lessons all week. But perhaps that would be possible in Alleghe - which is a great place, and the Snowheads weeks are good value.
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Lots of (good) advice here, though quite a lot that doesn’t address the OP.
Your point about Crystal is a good one, they really do offer good value, particularly if you are looking at half board.
I wouldn’t get too hung up about which country you go to.
You might want to think about what type of lessons you are after. Do you want an English (speaking) school? Do you want private lessons or group lessons (in January you might get lucky and have a small group), or ESF? There are pros and cons for both.
3Vs are great for the English bit, and a wide choice of good schools. Not sure 1850 would be on the top of my list though.
You might also consider whether Apres Ski of some type is important to you, for me it is, and imo goes someway to selling the ski holiday experience.
Quite a few comments on boots and skis, best to book from a decent outfit close to the lifts, which gives you options to swap, and sometimes good to be able to leave your boots and skis at the end of the day.
I don’t put cutsie picture postcard charm high on my list of priorities, but it might be on yours, in which case French mega resorts struggle.
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